Derby Crown Court heard how even now, five months after the collision, the victim is still in pain and needing appointment with an osteopath for treatment.

But Kumar escaped an immediate prison term as the hearing was told how is the sole carer for his 84-year-old father who suffers from epilepsy.

Handing him an eight month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, Judge Jonathan Bennett said: “I have seen the full horror of the dash cam footage of what took place and it is quite remarkable that no one was more seriously hurt.

Katrina Wilson, prosecuting, said the offence happened on the southbound carriageway of the A38 coming into Derby from the north at 11am on May 11.

She said traffic was slowing down to a stop at the traffic lights at Little Eaton when a Mercedes Sprinter van, being driven by Kumar, swerved from the outside lane and on to the slip road where it collided with the side of the victim’s car.

Miss Wilson said: “As he approached, the defendant swerved at speed across from lane two into lane one and then the slip road where he crashed into the victim’s car.

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He said at the time it happened he was on the way to Birmingham from Bradford having collected some furniture.

Seamran Sidhu, for Kumar, said her client had been driving for 35 years and had not had any penalty points on his licence since the 1980s.

She said: “He was immediately remorseful and admitted it was his fault and not once tried to blame anyone else.”

As well as the suspended prison sentence, Kumar was also disqualified from driving for 18 months, was ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and was ordered to pay £350 costs and a £140 victim surcharge.